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Picture courtesy of Noble Numismatics

QSA (5) Modder River, Relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg, Driefontein, Transvaal (27 Tpr: O.A.Taylor, Australian Horse.);
KSA (2) (Lieut: O. Taylor. N.S.W.M.R.0

Note: Service number area seems to have been adjusted and the number 27 which is impressed is different to the number 811 on medal roll although next to this number on the roll is a circled number 29. Perhaps the medal naming worker has inserted 811, thought he made an error, then removed it and in trying to put 29 has made another error and inserted 27.

Ex R.Dalton in March 1992 and Noble Numismatics Sale 122 (lot 3659).

811 Trooper Owen Albert Taylor, 1st Aust Horse; Emb.14Nov1899 from Newcastle, NSW and arrived at Cape Town 13Dec1899; WIA 10Mar1900 at Battle of Driefontein; Enl. in 3rd NSW Mounted Rifles as Sgt in A Sqdn; promoted to Lieut 28Feb1901; Emb.05Apr1901 to Durban; 25Apr1902 subject to a serious charge re improper conduct at Villiersdorp; RTA 04May1902.

On 25 April 1902 Colonel Rimington CB wrote to the Assistant Adjutant General Colonial Forces, Pretoria and stated,

'I have the honour to bring to your attention the conduct of the two officers named in the margin (Lieut O.Taylor and Lieut H.Waters 3d NSWMR), with a view to their receiving no further employment in this country.

On marching through Villiersburg from South to North on 13th instant, special precautions were taken to protect the houses of two Boer women, who had on several occasions been of use to His Majesty's Forces by giving information. These women were given orders by my intelligence officer protecting their property, and were also given small presents of sugar, coffee, etc. Military Mounted Police were posted on their houses to protect them. As the rear guard passed through the town these police were withdrawn.

The two rear troops which were commanded by the two officers in question, instead of continuing on with the remainder of the rear guard, and taking up a position on the heights overlooking the town from the North, as they should have done, stopped behind and headed by their officers, looted and set on fire the houses of these women, and robbed them of their money and their groceries. Both officers were shown the protecting passes by the women, and they threw them to one side. My Assistant Provost Marshall had to return and clear them out of the town. One of the women had a cross in her house which had been left with her by the O.C. 3rd N.S.W.M.R. to put over the grave of a man of this regiment, who had been buried in the neighbourhood. This had the man's name and regiment painted on it, and was shown to these officers.

I was not present with my column at the time or I should have had both these officers tried by Field General Court Martial, the officer temporarily in command gave them a public reprimand. I am sending a similar letter to this to the authorities in Australia.'

On 4 May 1902 Lieutenant M.R.Mecham claimed that the women had wrongly identified Lieutenant Waters and it was in fact Mecham who had gone to the women's houses.

In his defence, on board H.M. Transport 'Aurania' on 4 May 1902 Lieutenant Taylor wrote,

'I have the honour to state that on 13th April, when I was in charge of one of the rear troops of Colonel Rimington's Column, I was directed by Major Bennett to burn the houses in Villiersdorp, if not under police protection. As the houses were not so protected when I came to them, I acted on the General Orders which I had received during the drive and proceeded to burn them. Before however any damage had been done I was informed by the acting Provost Marshall that these houses were protected and at once withdrew my men.

I saw no protection passes as stated by the women. One house was burnt by Lieutenant Mecham and not by Lieutenant Waters as stated by the women. The house I went to was not burnt. As far as I know the woman who protected our comrades grave and buried him was not interfered with in any way.'

No further action was taken by the authorities in this matter.

The Modder River clasp is very unusual in Taylor's group. The battle of Modder River was fought on 28 November 1899. Taylor arrived in South Africa on 13 December 1899.

The rolls show the incorrect entitlement to Modder River but these are corrected each time so I would expect the clasp not to have been issued.

Australian Horse roll




NSWMR roll

I was responsible fr the Taylor reunite in 1986 and retained the medals for a number of years before selling them to Robbie Dalton. The comment about the Modder River bar is correct in that it is an interpretation error by the person assembling the clasps. The comment back in the day was Taylor could not have qualified for the Moder River bar even if he had flown South African Airways ( tongue in cheek)

Picture courtesy of Noble Numismatics

QSA (0) (42 Farrier H.V.Hunt C.H.) [sic];
1914-15 Star (33 Pte H.V.Hunt. 3/L.H. Rgt. A.I.F.);
British War Medal 1914-18 (3 SSgt H.V.Hunt. 3/L.H. Rgt. A.I.F.);
Victory Medal (33 S-Sjt H.V.Hunt. 3 L.H.R. A.I.F.);
1939-45 War Medal (S212323 H.V.Hunt);
Australia Service medal 1939-45 (S212323 H.V.Hunt);
Meritorious Service Medal GV (33 Far: S.Sjt: H.V.Hunt: H.Q. A.M.D. Train: Aust:I.F.)

MSM: LG 1/1/1919, p62; CAG 61, 23/5/1919, p891 - to Farrier Staff-Sergeant Henry Vincent Hunt, Mtd Div Train, in recognition of valuable services rendered with Forces in Egypt.

Boer War: Henry Vincent Hunt, shoeing-smith, age 22, born at Modbury, Sth Aust; Enl.21Apr1902 at Adelaide, Sth Aust. in 8Bn Aust C'wth Horse; Emb.21May-02Jun1902; RTA July1902. WWI: Enl.22Aug1914 at Morphettville, Sth Aust in 3LHR; Emb.22Oct1914; to join MEF at Gallipoli 09May1915; to Cpl 02Jan1916; to Sgt 03Jan1916; to Farrier S Sgt 31Jul1917; to Horse Coy Anzac Mtd Div Train 07Aug1917; TOS 32 Coy AASC 07Aug1918; RTA 15Nov1918; awarded MSM 01Jan1919; Disch.23Feb1919. WWII: Enl.30Sep1939 at Adelaide, Sth Aust, in Garrison Bn, now a labourer at age 58; to hospital 07Jun1941 with bronchitis; posted to seriously ill list with bronchial pneumonia 10Jun1941; Disch.15Oct1941.

Picture courtesy of Noble Numismatics

QSA (5) Modder River, Relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg, Driefontein, Transvaal (27 Tpr: O.A.Taylor, Australian Horse);
KSA (2) (Lieut: O.Taylor. N.S.W.M.R.)

Note: Service number area seems to have been adjusted and the number 27 which is impressed is different to the number 811 on medal roll although next to this number on the roll is a circled number 29. Perhaps the medal naming worker has inserted 811, thought he made an error, then removed it and in trying to put 29 has made another error and inserted 27.

Ex R.Dalton in March 1992 and Noble Numismatics Sale 122 (lot 3659).

811 Trooper Owen Albert Taylor, 1st Aust Horse; Emb.14Nov1899 from Newcastle, NSW and arrived at Cape Town 13Dec1899; WIA 10Mar1900 at Battle of Driefontein; Enl. in 3rd NSW Mounted Rifles as Sgt in A Sqdn; promoted to Lieut 28Feb1901; Emb.05Apr1901 to Durban; 25Apr1902 subject to a serious charge re improper conduct at Villiersdorp; RTA 04May1902.

On 25 April 1902 Colonel Rimington CB wrote to the Assistant Adjutant General Colonial Forces, Pretoria and stated,

'I have the honour to bring to your attention the conduct of the two officers named in the margin (Lieut O.Taylor and Lieut H.Waters 3d NSWMR), with a view to their receiving no further employment in this country.

On marching through Villiersburg from South to North on 13th instant, special precautions were taken to protect the houses of two Boer women, who had on several occasions been of use to His Majesty's Forces by giving information. These women were given orders by my intelligence officer protecting their property, and were also given small presents of sugar, coffee, etc. Military Mounted Police were posted on their houses to protect them. As the rear guard passed through the town these police were withdrawn.

The two rear troops which were commanded by the two officers in question, instead of continuing on with the remainder of the rear guard, and taking up a position on the heights overlooking the town from the North, as they should have done, stopped behind and headed by their officers, looted and set on fire the houses of these women, and robbed them of their money and their groceries. Both officers were shown the protecting passes by the women, and they threw them to one side. My Assistant Provost Marshall had to return and clear them out of the town. One of the women had a cross in her house which had been left with her by the O.C. 3rd N.S.W.M.R. to put over the grave of a man of this regiment, who had been buried in the neighbourhood. This had the man's name and regiment painted on it, and was shown to these officers.

I was not present with my column at the time or I should have had both these officers tried by Field General Court Martial, the officer temporarily in command gave them a public reprimand. I am sending a similar letter to this to the authorities in Australia.'

On 4 May 1902 Lieutenant M.R.Mecham claimed that the women had wrongly identified Lieutenant Waters and it was in fact Mecham who had gone to the women's houses.

In his defence, on board H.M. Transport 'Aurania' on 4 May 1902 Lieutenant Taylor wrote,

'I have the honour to state that on 13th April, when I was in charge of one of the rear troops of Colonel Rimington's Column, I was directed by Major Bennett to burn the houses in Villiersdorp, if not under police protection. As the houses were not so protected when I came to them, I acted on the General Orders which I had received during the drive and proceeded to burn them. Before however any damage had been done I was informed by the acting Provost Marshall that these houses were protected and at once withdrew my men.

I saw no protection passes as stated by the women. One house was burnt by Lieutenant Mecham and not by Lieutenant Waters as stated by the women. The house I went to was not burnt. As far as I know the woman who protected our comrades grave and buried him was not interfered with in any way.'

No further action was taken by the authorities in this matter.

Picture courtesy of Noble Numismatics

QSA (2) Transvaal, South Africa 1902 (2746 Tpr O.L.Davy Aus:Com:H);
1914-15 Star (Lieut O.L.Davey 3 LHR AIF);
British War Medal and Victory Medal (Lieut O.L.Davey A.I.F.);
Colonial Auxiliary Forces Decoration (GV) (Lieut Davey UNAAT list);
Colonial Auxiliary Forces Long Service Medal (GV) (Lieut O.L.Davey UNAAT List)

Oliver Leopold Davey, mining surveyor, age 20 yrs, born East Moonta, Sth Aust. Joined 4ACH SA 05 Feb 1902 in Wallaroo, departed Australia 01 Apr 1902. Note. Davey appears in Murray p383 as 2747 Davy, medal impressed 2746.

WWI Enl. 21 Aug 1914, Emb 22 Oct 1914 Adelaide with 3 LHR, proceeded to join MEF Gallipoli 09 May 1915, WIA 13 Jun 1915. RTA 08 Oct 1915 as unfit for general service for 6 months (dislocated knee). Re-Enl. 28 Apr 1916, Emb. 08 May 1916 Melbourne, RTA 27 Sep 1917.